These Gluten Free Waffles are made with Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour, a little almond flour and whipped egg whites, so they come out crispy on the outside and light and fluffy in the middle.
Folding the whipped whites in at the very end is what makes them so airy. The batter fills with tiny bubbles, and my Breville waffle maker gives them a thin, crispy crust with deep pockets for butter and syrup.
I spent a lot of weekend mornings trying to get gluten free waffles right. I've had success with Pamela's Baking Mix, but I wanted my own homemade recipe, and this is it.
The almond flour adds a little nutty flavor and a more tender bite than gluten free flour alone, and a splash of apple cider vinegar in the almond milk works like buttermilk.
If you love these, you should try my gluten free pancakes, sheet pan pancakes and banana chocolate chip muffins, too. The sheet pan pancakes are the easiest swap when you're feeding a crowd and don't want to stand at the waffle iron.
Ingredients for Gluten Free Waffles
- Gluten free flour - I use Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour. It hasn't let me down yet, and it already has xanthan gum in it, so there's nothing extra to add.
- Almond flour - Use blanched almond flour, not almond meal. Almond meal is ground with the skins on and is coarser, so the waffles turn out heavier.
- Baking powder and salt - Check that your baking powder is labeled gluten free.
- Almond milk - Any milk works. Add a little more if the batter looks too thick.
- Apple cider vinegar - Stirred into the milk, it does the same job as buttermilk.
- Unsalted butter - Melt it and let it cool before it goes in, so it doesn't cook the egg yolks.
- Eggs - Separate them. The yolks go in with the wet ingredients and the whites get whipped.
- Optional flavorings - Cinnamon, a little sugar, vanilla or maple syrup.
See recipe card for quantities.
Keeping These Waffles Gluten Free
These waffles are gluten free as written, but check the labels on your baking powder, almond flour and flour blend before you start. If you're cooking for someone with celiac, think about the waffle iron too. One that's been used for regular waffles can hold crumbs in the grids, so give it a good cleaning first.
How to Make Gluten Free Waffles
Heat the waffle iron
Turn it on and spray it well with cooking spray, even if it's nonstick.
Separate the eggs
Put the yolks in a big bowl and the whites in a clean mixing bowl.
Whisk the wet ingredients
Add the almond milk, apple cider vinegar and melted butter to the yolks and whisk.
Stir in the dry ingredients
Mix the gluten free flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt in another bowl, then stir them into the wet ingredients just until combined. Add a splash more milk if the batter is too thick.
Whip the egg whites
Beat the whites until they stand in peaks, the way you would for meringue.
Fold in the whites
Gently fold them into the batter. You'll see small bubbles, which means you whipped them well.
Cook the waffles
Pour the batter into the iron and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on your waffle iron. I leave mine in a little longer because I want that brown, crispy outside.
Pro Tips
Fold, don't stir. Use a spatula and stop as soon as the big white streaks are gone. Stirring hard knocks out the air that makes these fluffy.
Start with a clean bowl for the whites. Even a little yolk or grease in the bowl keeps them from whipping up, so separate the eggs carefully.
Give them an extra minute. If you like your waffles crispy, leave them in the iron a minute or two after the steam starts to slow down.
Cool them on a rack, not a plate. Stacking traps steam and softens the crust. To keep a batch warm, set the waffles on a rack over a baking sheet in a 200°F oven while you finish the rest.
Stay close to the waffle iron. I get a bit crazy checking mine, because burnt waffles taste terrible and set off every smoke alarm in my house.
What to Serve with Gluten Free Waffles
Butter and pure maple syrup are classic, and you'll usually find fresh strawberries or blueberries on mine. They're just as good savory, too. Use them as the bread for a breakfast sandwich with sausage, egg, and cheese, or serve them with bacon and egg cups on the side.
Variations
A few easy ways to change these up.
- Cinnamon waffles - Add cinnamon to the dry ingredients.
- Vanilla waffles - Add a splash of vanilla to the wet ingredients.
- Sweeter waffles - Stir in a little sugar or maple syrup.
- Quicker waffles - Skip whipping the whites and whisk the whole eggs into the wet ingredients. They'll still be good, just not as fluffy.
Equipment
I use the Breville Smart Waffle Maker. Its deep Belgian-style grids give you a crispy outside and a soft center, and cook times vary widely from one waffle iron to the next, so yours may need more or less time. You'll also need two mixing bowls, a hand mixer or stand mixer for the egg whites, and a rubber spatula for folding.
Storage
Keep cooked waffles in a sealed container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. To freeze them, let them cool completely on a rack, freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet, then move them to a freezer bag.
They'll keep for up to 2 months, and the batter freezes well for up to 2 months, too. Reheat the waffles straight from frozen in the toaster oven or the air fryer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Leave them in the iron a minute or two longer than you think you need to, and move them to a wire rack as soon as they come out. Stacking them on a plate traps steam, which is what makes them go soft.
Usually, the iron needs more cooking spray, even if it's nonstick, or it wasn't fully heated when you poured in the batter. Wait for the ready light before you pour.
I put them straight in the toaster oven or the air fryer, no thawing needed. Both bring back the crispy outside, and the air fryer is the easiest way to reheat a big batch at once.
I wouldn't. Almond meal is coarser and usually has the skins, so the waffles come out heavier and a little gritty.
Any waffle iron works. A regular one makes thinner waffles that cook faster, so start checking them sooner.
More Gluten Free Breakfast Recipes
- Gluten Free Pancakes
- Gluten Free Sheet Pan Pancakes
- Gluten Free Blender Pancakes
- Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- Gluten Free Zucchini Chocolate Chip Bread
- Gluten Free Breakfast Casserole
- Bacon and Egg Cups
- 30 Gluten Free Breakfast Recipes
Ingredients
- 1 cup gluten free flour (Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1)
- ½ cup almond flour not almond meal
- 1 tablespoon baking powder aluminum free
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs separated
- 1 ¼ cup almond milk (any milk) or more if too thick
- 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
- cinnamon, sugar, vanilla or maple syrup optional
Instructions
- Heat the waffle iron and spray it with cooking spray.
- Separate the eggs. In a big bowl, whisk the yolks with the almond milk, apple cider vinegar, and melted butter.
- Stir together the dry ingredients and gently stir them into the wet ingredients just until mixed. Add more milk if the batter is too thick.
- Beat the egg whites until they stand in peaks, then gently fold them into the batter.
- Pour into the waffle iron and cook 5 to 10 minutes. Cooking times vary a lot depending on your waffle iron and how brown you want them.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
All nutritional information provided is an estimate. For specific dietary needs or concerns, we recommend consulting a nutrition calculator or a qualified expert.
Karen Kelly
Karen Kelly is a nationally syndicated food and travel writer, founder of Seasonal Cravings, and co-founder of The Roam Report. She develops approachable seasonal recipes and covers travel and lifestyle trends. Her work has appeared in numerous media outlets, including Yahoo, Taste of Home, Apple News, NBC, FOX, and other national and regional publications.
Sean Clark says
Great recipe! My wife and I used to make our own flour and decided to try the Bobs Red Mill 1 to 1 but had trouble finding a waffle recipe that was not full of added sugar. Made is using coconut oil just to see if it would add flavor. It didnt which was fine. We added a little cinnamon amd vanila extract so itay of been hidden by that. Thanks so much for posting. This is now our goto base waffle batter.
Karen Kelly says
I'm so glad to hear it worked for your family. It is so nice to finally have an easy gluten free waffle recipe. I'll have to try it with coconut oil and vanilla. Thanks for letting me know.
Thea says
Just made them for breakfast, but substituted the eggs out for water, baking powder and more oil. Worked beautifully! Esially can be made vegan.
Karen Kelly says
Thanks so much for letting me know. Glad they worked for you!
Ailsa says
Great texture and they taste good. I used the all-purpose GF mix from Bulk Barn that included xanthan gum, which I imagine would be like Bob's Red Mill's - and you can't really tell they're gluten-free. No sugar either, which is a bonus. A little bit eggy, but not too much; I imagine that many eggs are needed to help with the texture. Finally, they didn't stick to the iron and were easy to remove. I'll make this again, for sure. Thank you!
Karen Kelly says
Thanks so much for your review. Glad you liked them. Wish I had a Bulk Barn around here so I could try that flour!
Agnes says
These are really great. I added some vanilla and a touch of honey. Amazing
Karen Kelly says
Thanks so much for letting me know. I'll try your tricks next time!
Nipa says
I used a Bob's Red Mill's All Purpose Flour waffle recipe for years, but it had a little bit of an after-taste. This recipe is SO much better! Thank you for sharing. P.S. I did end up using a little more milk, almost 1.5 cups, as the batter thickened over time.
Karen Kelly says
Wow, thanks for letting me know. So glad you liked them and I'll try them with more milk.
Annie says
These were awesome! We used Bob’s Red Mill Palio baking flour, low-fat milk but kept the rest the same. Super good, light, fluffy, tasted better than “regular” waffles.
Thank you!
Karen Kelly says
Thanks for letting me know. I have that flour in my pantry so I'll have to try it.
MiKayla says
Is that 354 calories per waffle?
Karen Kelly says
Hi there, no that's for two waffles. Sorry about that!
Kitsel B says
With a fairly recent Celiac diagnosis (my daughter), I’m having to re-learn how to bake. Sometimes it isn’t just as simple as swapping out a 1-to-1 flour for all-purpose in a favorite recipe. My old recipe for waffles just didn’t cut it... they were limp and disappointing. Debated about adding some vanilla, but realized what I have on hand isn’t labeled so we didn’t want to risk it. I was worried they wouldn’t be flavorful, but I was definitely wrong! My daughter heartily gave it 2 thumbs up. Just printed it out to put in our GF “favorites” binder. Thanks so much!
Karen Kelly says
Thanks so much for letting me know!
Anthony Gibson says
These waffles turned out great! I had to add some almond milk to thin it some then I used cinnamon and vanilla from the earlier suggestion. Thanks for the delicious recipe!
Karen Kelly says
I'm so glad to hear it! Thanks for letting me know.
Cassie says
I regret not seeing that people added vanilla to this recipe LOL. These were not good. They did not have any crave-able taste. Even after i added cinnamon. I had to add maple syrup for the first time since i was a child just to eat 2 of the 4 waffles i got out of this batch. Maybe it was because i subbed flax egg for the eggs, but i don't know. Or maybe it's cause I'm a pancake person. I am not giving up on this recipe though, because they came out beautiful! They didn't stick, and had great texture. I'm a certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach! I think it's great you're helping people make healthier choices!!
Michele says
Just wondering what happened to the other waffle recipe that was at this link. I have been using it for awhile and needed to print out another copy of recipe and it’s changed. Do you still have the other recipe somewhere on your site.
Karen Kelly says
Michele, Sorry about that I changed up the recipes and added almond flour but I'll email you the original recipe.
Amanda says
This recipe is amazing! I made these waffles this morning and turned out perfect! Thank you so much. This well be a recipe I use all the time
Brooke says
In an effort to clean up my diet this year, I found this recipe using the almond flour. I wanted to still have all of my favorite comfort foods, waffles being one of them. This recipe is perfect! I will be honest, I was skeptical about adding the ACV but boy what a difference it does make! Thanks for this wonderful recipe!
Relle says
I was nervous to try gluten free at first, but I'm so happy I did. This was awesome and I'm happy to have a gluten free recipe in my arsenal to share with my gluten intolerant friends.
Jennifer says
This is the best recipe for gf waffles ever! I think it must be the addition of almond flour which gives them a bit more texture. And such a lovely crunch! Love them!
Lara says
I was so surprised at how good the texture came out on these waffles. I've definitely had some major failed when attempting to make them. This recipe is a keeper! Thank you!
dg says
Fluffy, melt in your mouth texture!!